A Gift of Strawberry
by Shinigami Kuro
Summary: Ichigo is discouraged because he overlooked Orihime's birthday, and now he doesn't have a present for her. Third/last chapter is up! Thank you everyone for your reviews.
1. Detention!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the rights to Bleach, but I DO have four wall scrolls and figurines of Bleach characters…

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the rights to Bleach (or to anything I may reference to), but I DO have four wall scrolls and figurines of Bleach characters…

This is my VERY FIRST fan fiction. Ever.

As such, it will not be a one-shot, as I write a LOT, and I like to write… So it may end up to be a few chapters, actually.

Anyway, I just want to say that I've watched up to around… 170 episodes of Bleach, so if you haven't gotten that far, here's your warning.

SPOILER ALERT!

Now, before I get started, I just want to say that this story could go into any direction. It could end up being Ichigo/Orihime, Ichigo/Tatsuki. Those are most likely, out of all of them…

This fan fiction may partially be based on the storyline, but I'm trying to make it sort of aside from the storyline…

So, let's get started, shall we?

A Gift of Strawberry

**Detention!**

"Ichigoooo!" A certain classmate of our beloved orange-haired Shinigami attempted a tackle, though, mid-air, he was cut short by a hand grasping his throat and, much to their teacher's dismay, a grand toss across a few desktops.

Needless to say, said teacher was rather irate, though she seemed to be bottling up any need to reprimand them. This was normal.

"Beat it," came Ichigo's reply. Keigo, amidst the rubble of desks, was able to summon a pitiful groan.

"Why do you hate me so, my best of friends, Kurosaki Ichigo!? What have I done to be so forsaken!?" "You'd think you'd learn by now." Mizuiro, who was always somehow nearby, simply shook his head with disdain and, soon after, nodded to Ichigo, which was returned by the orange-headed Shinigami.

The commotion of desks had been enough to gather the attention of a raven-haired female, who simply grinned at the antics of her classmates. "Damn! You chucked him pretty far, Ichigo!" The orange-headed Shinigami simply shrugged, jamming his hands into his beige pants-pockets.

"Tatsuki-chan! Keigo needs medical attention!" Orihime pouted, trotting over to the fallen Keigo, who twitched out of pain every once in a while.

"Oh, you are a princess, Orihime." Keigo spoke dreamily as she drew near, though Ichigo piped up.

"If he's stupid enough to jump at me every time I come to class, he deserves it."

"Huh. I suppose you're right." Even the innocence in Orihime's voice had diminished, as she left Keigo to brood.

"Class!" Before-mentioned teacher finally spoke up. "I have to admit, I tolerate a lot, but this tops it off!" Ichigo was surprised; he rarely heard the woman speak, much less reprimand him.

"Detention! For all of you! Asano Keigo, Kurosaki Ichigo, Inoue Orihime, Arisawa Tatsuki, and Kojima Mizuiro. Now, please, will _someone_clean up this mess!?" To say that this woman had a rather bulging stress-mark upon her forehead at this point would be an understatement; we're talking big-head, flame in the eyes sort of deal here.

Sado Yasutora, the copper-skinned giant better known as Chad, was the first to stand. Wordless, the muscled high school student simply tugged Keigo out of the rubble, ignoring a whisper of 'Thank you', as well as many other praises.

Alone, Chad proceeded to pick up a series of desks, readjusting them until they were in their proper rows; thus, all of the detention-sentenced students had their seats.

Ichigo grumbled; was this lady _serious_? There was no way in hell he could attend detention today, what with all of the Hollows that were appearing lately. Rukia, who was sitting just to the left of Ichigo in a pink shirt with the lovable character of Chappy in its center, as always, merely snickered. She leaned over to him.

"Relax. Mod souls exist for a reason, Ichigo."

"Yeah, but Orihime didn't have anything to do with it."

His brown-eyed gaze led him to Orihime, who seemed to be less than thrilled. Her cheek rested upon her palm as she sighed pitifully.

Ichigo suddenly felt a dangerous spurt of reiatsu, becoming rather short of breath as a result. He glanced to Rukia, who had already flipped out her cell phone-like device. She simply nodded.

"Definitely Hollow; they're weak, but there's a group of them in Karakura Town."

"Then what the hell are we doing waiting here!?" Ichigo stood, though he was yanked down by the sleeve of his school uniform.

"Are you crazy, Ichigo? Do you want to get into _more_ trouble?" Ichigo grumbled as he glanced up to the whiteboard, where the teacher had already written a 'Detention list', blatantly named, for today. He took a quick glance.

**Detention List**  
Kurosaki Ichigo

Keigo Asano

Inoue Orihime – Exempt

Arisawa Tatsuki

Kojima Mizuiro

"I would like to point out to the class that Orihime is unable to serve her punishment this evening. She has matters that are more important to attend to, thus she will be required to stay after school tomorrow."

Ichigo was surprised to hear this turn of events. He first glanced to Rukia, who looked at him as if he were an idiot – not that he wasn't used to _that_ by now – and then to Orihime, who seemed suddenly chipper.

"Don't tell me you forgot _all ready_, Ichigo. It's Orihime's birthday." Rukia simply turned her head in Orihime's direction, giving her a smile and a wave, both of which were returned enthusiastically.

"Oh. Right."

"You really _are_ dense sometimes, Ichigo." Rukia gave him a light bop on the head with her Chappy Pez dispenser. After rubbing his head, Ichigo wondered where she stored all of these things.

**Dismissal**

"Ichigo!" Ichigo whirled around at the familiar voice; he wasn't at all startled to see a rapidly approaching Tatsuki, as the voice matched as such, though she sounded urgent. His brows furrowed.

"Oi! What's up, Tatsuki?"

"Orihime's birthday party is today and I'm throwing her a big party! I invited Karin and Yuzu, your dad, Chad, Rukia, Keigo, Mizuiro, and Uryuu; even though he's a little off."

"And?"

"_And_? You big jerk!" Tatsuki gave him a hard frog in the arm, glaring as she took a stance. "You're coming, right?"

"I have detention."

"Ichigo, c'mon! I have detention, too, but you don't see _me_ staying after school."

"Yeah, but I'm all ready in enough trouble as it is." Ichigo glanced to Tatsuki, mostly to see if she was buying it. She sighed and shook her head.

"You're such an ass sometimes, Ichigo. Orihime _really_ wanted you to come, too." Tatsuki seemed to visibly sadden, though she merely turned around.

Ichigo sighed, as well, and simply turned toward his own home.

As he unlocked the door with its key, he stepped inside, stealthily, peeking around the corner to the living room. Karin was on their couch, flipping through various channels; she settled for an old Steven Seagal movie, in which he was most definitely snapping a few necks.

Thus far, he was undetected; if he were to be found, he'd most likely have to fess up to declining an invitation to Orihime's party, and he wasn't sure he felt like breaking anyone else's heart today.

Ichigo did as he always did after school; he took a brief shower, got a change of clothes, and lay in his bed, staring into his alabaster ceiling from atop his comforters. His fingers linked behind his head, and the skin above his eyebrows crinkled, as it often did when he was deep in thought.

A few minutes in, his contemplations were interrupted by a loud, gruff bellow as he felt a searing pain in his stomach; Isshin was home, and he'd decided to make his way into the house by climbing through Ichigo's window and, having seen his son deep in thought, he felt it a perfect opportunity to hone an axe kick on his abdomen.

Doubled over, Ichigo growled irritably as he stared up at Isshin. "Are you crazy!? What is your problem, you old man? Grow a beard!" Isshin simply threw his head back in hysterical laughter, flexing in his white, sleeveless shirt and jeans; the splotch of brown upon said shirt made him look as if he'd just returned from a barbecue.

"C'mon, son! I've come to drag you to the party! We're all expecting you!"

"I can't, Dad." Ichigo's tone softened as he sat up, most of the pain in his ribs having subsided. He stared into the blue sheets beneath him, crossing his arms over his stomach.

"I see." Isshin seemed to become serious; for a moment, that is. He rose an index finger into the air, grinning. "Aha! You can't go because you're madly in love with Orihime, but you feel you are inadequate!" He made several gestures, one of which involved both of his hands to show the wild beating of a heart.

Ichigo stared blankly at his father. "Go away."

"Nonsense! I would never abandon my own son while he's in a great peril!"

"Go away, I said, you old geezer!"

The fight erupted. Ichigo planted a solid punch on the man's (not-bearded) face, somehow being enough to send him through the closet door. Isshin replied with a flying jump-kick, aimed for Ichigo's chest, which sent him crashing into the wall. Isshin rolled off of Ichigo's bed as a result.

"Hey!"

From the doorway called a baseball cap-wearing youth, eyes blazing.

"Will you guys keep it down!? _Out for Justice_ is on!"

"Karin, your brother refuses to go to Orihime's party!" Isshin spoke mid-noogie, though Ichigo replied with a headlock on his father.

"Cut – it – out! I'm not going because I couldn't find her a present!" Ichigo reddened at this; he hadn't intended to tell them that, though Karin simply grinned and left, not after hollering.

"If I have to come up here again, you're both dead!"

"Is _that_ why, son? You don't want to go to the party because you couldn't find a gift?"

"Shut up." Ichigo grumbled, releasing his father and giving him a shove off of his bed. The man stumbled, though he kept his composure, simply shaking his head with a smile as he crossed his arms.

"Son, that's a very manly thing to do."

"Oh, shut up!" Ichigo threw a pillow at Isshin, hitting him squarely in the face. Isshin simply threw it back, though to the bed.

"It's nothing to be ashamed of, assuming the responsibilities of an adult."

Ichigo always hated it when his father did this; but, he _did_ have a point.

"Perhaps I could arrange for that Tatsuki girl to come over tomorrow and help you pick out a gift for Orihime. You two are friends, if I remember correctly. You can both go to the mall."

Ichigo winced.

Shopping with _Tatsuki?_

**End:** Okay, so this is the end of Chapter 1 of (hopefully) an ongoing fan fiction… Read and review! Constructive criticism is always wanted.

Along with that, please try not to be too harsh. This is my first fan fiction, and I'm just trying to sort of stick my foot in the door, hehe. :D

Thank you for reading!


	2. Two Minutes In a Closet

Disclaimer: I, ShinigamiKuro, do not own Bleach

Disclaimer: I, ShinigamiKuro, do not own Bleach. My use of these characters (however warped they are from their original intent) does not mean that I own them. This fan fiction is an expression of my fandom, hence the word 'fan' added to 'fiction'.

Now that we have THAT clear…

This will be my second chapter of A Gift of Strawberry. I figured that since I was given no reviews for the first chapter that I should probably spice it up a bit…

So this is where the "smut" comes in; I apologize in advance if I am a terrible smut peddler, but, everyone has to start somewhere, right?

Oh, and the pairing? I'm evil, so I'm not telling. :D

A Gift of Strawberry

**Two Minutes… In a Closet**

"Listen, asshole!" Ichigo blinked as he lifted his head from a cerulean pillow to glance at the raven-haired female in the doorway to his room. Not Karin, certainly, as she was much too upset to be Karin.

There had been a slight mix-up; Isshin had told Tatsuki that she and Ichigo were to go shopping _tomorrow_, but the karate expert decided to reiterate the fact that he was going to the party _tonight_.

"Tatsuki, I already told you; I'm busy."

"Yeah, busy laying in your bed moping! What is your problem, Ichigo? You used to be a good guy!"

Isshin then came behind Tatsuki, laying a gentle hand upon her shoulder. He murmured something to her, to which her eyes widened.

"O-Oh, Ichigo… I didn't mean to… Bring up your mom."

"Don't worry about it. Just go."

"Ichigo." Tatsuki's normal demeanor of pep and anger faded; she sat upon his bed, staring down at him with a tender smile.

"C'mon, Ichi…" She giggled; she used to call him that all of the time while they were enrolled in the dojo. Her fingers ran up his clothed torso gradually, until she could dig her fingers into the side of his neck; her intent was to tickle him.

Ichigo was yet to react. He simply shut his eyes.

"Why are you still here?"

"Can't I just hang out?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because you're being a pest."

Tatsuki frowned.

"You know what, Ichigo? You're _going_. I have an obligation to Orihime to bring her what she wants for her birthday, and she wants _you_ there." Tatsuki easily yanked Ichigo out of bed by his head, simply dragging him out of his room.

Isshin smiled at the pair and began to trot down the stairs.

"Meet you at the party!"

Ichigo, meanwhile, squirmed mid-drag.

"H-Hey, Tatsuki, c'mon! You're gonna' rip my hair out!"

**Partaaaaay!**

"Ooh! Where _is_ she?" Orihime tapped her fluffy slipper of pink against the floor. Never had she been so flustered in her life; she didn't really want Tatsuki to make Ichigo come, but, seeing as how Miss Arisawa was, it was unlikely that Ichigo _wasn't_ going to show up tonight.

Orihime drew closer her pink robe of the same style as her slippers – the party had originally been intended exclusive for girls – as she felt a few lingering eyes betwixt the fabric of her robe and her flesh.

"Great party, Inoue! I've gotta' say, you're not lacking in… Seasoned friends." Mizuiro smiled innocently, licking his lips.

"Those are my relatives, Mizuiro." Orihime blinked, but soon turned away from him, as another approached. She smiled brightly; Sado always managed to cheer her up, even with the few words he spoke.

"Happy Birthday, Orihime," spoke the bass, not bothering to move any of his wavy auburn from his eyes. Then, he offered a slightly-crinkled box covered in green wrappings. "Here."

Orihime held the box carefully before she knelt down in front of a table, placing the present atop a stack of many others.

"I can't wait to open it, Sado!" She smiled up at the giant and he nodded before retreating; Sado wasn't one for words.

"Hee-hee-hee!" Keigo was the next to approach Orihime, looking positively pink. This alarmed Inoue, thus her overly-large eyes widened at his plight.

"Asano-san! You look ill!"

"N-No, it's fine…" Said lecher snickered mischievously, though he stumbled slightly. Orihime had to catch him in a hug, sighing. "Juss a little tipsy…"

Perfect timing.

"Get _off_ of her, you pig!" Tatsuki drew back a fist to clobber Keigo right in the face; luckily enough, he merely stumbled to collide with the wall. No real damage was done.

"I-I… Tatsuki…"

"Oi, Inoue."

Orihime swallowed her heart as it leapt into her throat, all in the duration of a few seconds at most. There stood Ichigo, in her doorway, kicking off his school shoes. It had been chilly, thus he now unzipped a cloth jacket, plain, black, and lay it in a pile that had developed just next to Orihime's door.

"O-Oh! Hello, Kurosaki-kun!" She inwardly chided herself for being so happy at his presence; everyone would notice, as they had gotten the typical 'Hello, thank you for coming'. But, now, she had gone too far; she even waved both of her arms.

Ichigo gasped, making a slight sound of surprise at the amount of enthusiasm she'd put into greeting him. The Substitute Shinigami approached, glancing about to see the party's occupants; Sado, Rukia, Yuzu (who was currently attending to Keigo via a frozen bag of cabbage), Karin (who was scolding Yuzu for treating a pervert), Uryuu, and, of course, Orihime herself.

By this hour, around eleven o'clock or so, the adults had departed; not that this alarmed Orihime any, as she was used to having no authority around. Ever since her brother had been exorcised, she had felt quite at home, if a bit lonely.

Along with them, Mizuiro and Keigo left, Mizuiro rather irate that Orihime's relatives had left before he had gotten their numbers; Keigo was beginning to bruise nicely on his lower and upper lips.

Karin and Yuzu had left with Isshin, upon his request as he pointed a hand-gun at Ichigo, winking. Ichigo pretended he hadn't seen it, but others had.

"Now I know where your idiocy comes from, Kurosaki," Uryuu adjusted his glasses upon his nose, as he often did when speaking; or doing anything, really.

"Oh, don't say that, Uryuu!"

Orihime spoke firmly, though her voice was as soft as ever. It was enough to quiet the Quincy, regardless of its volume.

"I think Ichigo's father is charming!"

"Yeah. He's got a _real_ way with the ladies."

Ichigo barely had time to end his sentence before he felt the searing pain once more in his left breast; that reiatsu!

"W-What the… Hell?"

"Ichigo!"

Rukia trotted over, glancing around casually; Uryuu had already bolted out the front door. Needless to say, Tatsuki was rather confused, thus Orihime surveyed her options.

She decided to lead Tatsuki down the corridor to her room, glancing over her shoulder to see a retreating Kurosaki. He nodded to her.

"We'll be back, Inoue… Keep Tatsuki safe."

The orange-haired female nodded with a flush; Ichigo was trusting her to keep someone safe?

"Tatsuki! Umm… Do you see this painting?"

"Orihime, what's wrong with you? You know I've seen this painting; it's the one your brother got you at that flea market."

"Well, yeah, but do you _see_ it?" This was sure to keep them occupied for a while.

**Outside**

"Ban – kai!" Ichigo allowed his reiatsu to swirl around his blade to darken its hilt, gradually seeping up to the blade itself. When the metamorphosis was completely, Ichigo stood, clad in his normal Bankai attire; the tattered, black cloak, whose collar obscured a great deal of his face.

Ichigo joined Uryuu, obliterating a Hollow by destroying its mask with an upward slash. The Hollow shimmered into nothing.

"You're welcome, you reckless bastard."

"If I needed your help, I'd tell you."

There they were, Quincy and Shinigami, back-to-back. This wasn't an unfamiliar stance.

Uryuu let fly three arrows of spirit particles, pegging three approaching Hollows in the mask. Ichigo spun his sword around fiercely.

"Tensa Zangetsu!"

An alabaster light, curved, approached five Hollows, easily slicing through them.

Ichigo huffed, allowing his feet to touch ground once more. It was rather taxing for him to be using these techniques in the real world, as physical bodies were more favored.

Uryuu was able to finish off the remnants, as only a few resided after Ichigo had blasted them. The Quincy, too, ceased levitation, landing adjacent Ichigo. The Shinigami sheathed Zangetsu, grasping his badge and, plunging it into his chest, he felt himself make entry once more to his actual body.

The Quincy merely strode inside; he had the luxury of not having to change his body in any fashion to have to use his abilities. He merely made the bow diminish before he entered the party once more.

When the two returned, they saw a peculiar sight; Tatsuki was punching Sado in the chest, grinning. Rather hard, too, from the expression on her face. "Jeez, you're an ox, Chad!"

Sado did not flinch, nor did he act any different.

"I don't like to fight, so I had to build up my body."

The Quincy and Shinigami had not been spotted, thus, Ichigo began to plot. He cleared his throat.

"Sorry about that. Uryuu had to stitch up this seam." Ichigo lifted up his arm, pointing to his armpit. Uryuu merely narrowed his eyes, but he wouldn't blow their cover, thus, he had to play along.

"Yes, and, seeing my craftsmanship, you can see that there is no recollection of a tear." Once more, Uryuu readjusted his glasses.

Ichigo had already separated himself from Uryuu to approach Orihime, who currently lay on the couch, staring into the ceiling. A habit he wasn't too distant from.

"Inoue?"

"Mm? Oh, Kurosaki-kun… A-Are you… All right?" Orihime's large eyes widened as she looked him over quickly; she was used to him being covered in scratches, but today must've been minimal.

Even so, he felt he was obliged to answer. "Yes, I'm fine. Listen, Inoue…" Ichigo then averted his eyes, as he was on one knee just before her, and their proximity was unable to become any more so. Even the couch was low.

"Okay, game-time!"

Ichigo frowned, but glanced to Orihime.

"Sorry."

Ichigo was reassured as Orihime gave him a brief nod and he stood, tilting his head as he glanced at Tatsuki.

"Orihime! C'mon, you're playing, too!"

She blushed as she heard Tatsuki say her name; of _course_ she couldn't be forgotten. It was her birthday. Reluctantly, the teenager stood.

Before she knew it, Ichigo and she were being pushed into the closet by Tatsuki, Sado having opened the door. He glanced at the both of them apologetically, though each of them were red by the time they were secluded in the closet. Tatsuki tugged on the beaded string to turn on the light and shut the door.

Sado merely leaned his large frame against the door, thus restricting pre-mature exit.

"K-Kurosaki…"

"Did you _plan_ this?"

"No, no, Ich-… K-Kurosaki…"

She was beet red, though so was Ichigo, hence his eyes staring at the variety of shoe boxes which lay within Orihime's closet. Typical.

"Damn you, Tatsuki. I should've known she was up to something."

Ichigo simply shook his head, though his gaze finally rested on Orihime; why was she so sad? She sighed lightly, much to Ichigo's confusion.

"Inoue, what's wrong? You want me to get us out of he-," Orihime had grown quite bold in that moment as she launched herself at Ichigo, whimpering as her arms flew around his broad back. She sobbed, deeply, into his muscular chest.

"Ichigo," even _more_ bold now, it seemed, "…do you know what it's like to want to protect something, and be so weak?"

Ichigo's eyes widened. He could only wrap his arms around her shoulder, banging against the closet door with his head.

"Let us out. Now. It's not funny anymore." Sado immediately obeyed, opening the door for the two of them once more.

"That wasn't even five minu-… Oh… Orihime…"

Tatsuki hushed herself as she saw the two. Orihime sniffled pathetically, though Ichigo simply guided her to the couch, allowing the teenager to sit in his lap. She did not object.

"I'm sorry, everyone; I'm far too weak."

"Orihime!"

Ichigo snapped, staring right at her, his brown eyes blazing.

"Look at me, Inoue."

She obeyed. She noticed that he was quite angry; most likely at her. Whatever the reason, she felt better. It showed that he cared.

"Someone who's gone through what you've gone through is not weak."

Orihime could only shake her head.

"When nii-sama died… I could barely stand it."

"But you did. And that's what makes you strong."

Only Orihime and Ichigo resided in the house now, as Tatsuki had advised everyone to leave in the midst of their conversation; Tatsuki, as well, had left, grinning.

"Happy Birthday, Orihime."

**End**: Okay, I lied. No smut, muwahaha! But, I may add another chapter, just so I can say that the story has some smut in it, eh? Good idea, yes, no?

Leave me reviews, por favor.


	3. Repercussions

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, I'm Shinigami Kuro, blah-blah-blah

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, I'm Shinigami Kuro, blah-blah-blah. You've seen it twice. P

And probably will see it twice on this document, because for some reason, it shows like… The first line twice. I have no idea why.

I would like to thank Sakura, Raistlin (if you've read it by the time I put this chapter up, haha), and xNocturnalxShadowx (my apologies if I misplaced any x's).

Anyway, this is going to be the last chapter… Unless I get flooded with reviews telling me to continue it.

Smut IS going to be in this chapter, contrary to what I said in the last… I just need to man up and go for it.

Enjoy. :D

A Gift of Strawberry

**Repercussions**

"Kurosaki-kun." Orihime spoke timidly, grasping tightly the sleeves of his shirt. The tears came, now, as her hushed sobs rang out in the silence of her own living room.

"Inoue…" Ichigo's voice took on a sympathetic tone, softening slightly as he tilted his head in staring at her. Due to the fact that she allowed herself to sit in his lap, he felt he was obliged to return a favor for her.

He drew a slender finger along her cheek, rubbing the water from her eyes into her cheeks; he did this for a good while, smiling, as he enjoyed the feel of her face.

"I'm so childish! Just because things aren't going as I intend them to, I have to cry."

"Inoue…" Ichigo repeated in the same manner, feeling helpless as he stared at her; she leaned into him, as before, sniffling.

"I-I… Miss him so much. At night, before I go to bed, I tuck myself in… I imagine it's my brother tucking me in. And he kisses me on the fo-."

Now it was time for Orihime to be shocked; she felt a warm sensation in her chest, as well as in her mouth, as Ichigo exhaled deeply into her.

His lips, inexperienced, settled for a gentle peck on her lips. He kept his own eyes open to stare at Orihime's face; he smiled. Keigo was right – surprisingly – about how ridiculous girls looked when you kissed them.

Orihime was still teetering between utter shock and euphoria as she considered this situation; Ichigo was _kissing_ her! She found her body heavy, unable to move, even as his lips departed.

He grumbled, digging deep into his pants-pocket to remove a ringing device, flipping it open.

"Oi!"

"Ichigo-san! I've completed this… _Assignment_ you've sent me on. Your body is completely intact!"

Ichigo rolled his eyes. Of all the people to call, it had to be a Mod Soul.

"Listen, Cloud, if you're done with the detention, just head over to Mr. Hat and Clogs' place."

"Oh, yes, of course. Give Orihime my regards!"

"Wait, how did-."

Click.

Ichigo returned the cell phone to his pocket, sighing as he stared up at Orihime. Was everyone in on this but he and Orihime!?

"Well, Cloud says hello."

Orihime was still rather flushed as she stared at him.

A few moments of silence passed before Orihime spoke, just above a whisper.

"I should let you go. It's late."

"You're kicking me out?"

"Not at all, Ichigo!"

Ichigo found his gaze allured to her lips; he noticed that, at this very moment, her tongue occasionally slipped out to touch the gloss upon her lips. Its flavor matched her fragrance. That wasn't so surprising, as Orihime _was_ rather inclined with coordinating those sorts of things. But what flavor and fragrance was she sporting?

Due to the fact that he was a male, he found it hard to pinpoint.

Ichigo drew Orihime closer, allowing him to become engulfed once more in her fragrance. He felt ridiculous, burying his face into her neck in an attempt to define the aroma. The fact that he could feel her undergarments against his school-uniform pants wasn't exactly unpleasant, nor did it border anywhere close to discomforting.

Slowly, as he gazed into the healer's large eyes, he slid two hands beneath her robe, leaning up so that his lips could touch hers. Once more, Orihime found her body rather numb; she, too, was inexperienced, thus she was surprised at all of the things Ichigo was currently doing.

First off, the way he kissed her bottom lip after nibbling it was enough to make her melt in his arms. In a subtle way, it showed his inability to hurt her, even if for a moment, in their most intimate of times.

Orihime at last braved a kiss, her hands resting on his shoulders. She shivered as she felt his hands trekking up her smooth thighs, freshly-shaven for the party, as her lips pressed a bit more firmly into his.

Ichigo allowed their lips to smack, wanting to hear their intimacy; it was erotic, in a way, that he had two ways of knowing that he was actually being allowed to do this with Orihime; the fact that he was _doing_ it and the fact that he was _hearing_ it being done.

After a few gentle licks to Orihime's lips, Ichigo heard her coo gently; he had always imagined what she would sound like, but her voice had a deeper aspect than he had imagined. Not that he minded, of course.

Ichigo began to lay Orihime's thin body against her own couch, staring down at her. He untied her robe, gulping, as he stared into her eyes. He truly did enjoy the innocence of her face, but right now it almost made him ashamed. He felt that he should stop.

"Stop me, Orihime. Please."

"I want it, Ichigo."

She blushed, but he nodded, untying her robe to reveal a matching pair of black panties and a bra. Ichigo scanned her skivvies, noticing that she wore a typical under apparel. Some girls enjoyed thongs, push-up bras, that sort of thing, but not Orihime.

Her undergarments completely covered the body parts they were meant to. Feeling Ichigo's eyes on her nearly-bare body was enough to make her begin writhing.

Ichigo admired the beauty of Orihime's form; her skin was well-pigmented, as he now ran a few fingers up her torso. He didn't want her to think his only draw to her were the large boulders which happened to substitute as her chest. He thought back to how Tatsuki had treated him, and briefly smiled as he began to chant.

"Hime…"

Orihime giggled, wriggling a bit when his fingers ran up her torso.

"It tickles, Kurosaki."

Ichigo simply nodded, though began to slowly run his fingers down her form. He slid his fingers along her navel in his trek before he began to lightly caress her left thigh with his hand, the other laying idly against her face as he stared up at her.

She cooed once more, in that deep voice which he was becoming accustomed to, and Ichigo ran his fingertips subtly up her thigh, to the exterior of her underwear, to which she replied with an abrupt gasp.

She need say no more; Ichigo gradually began to pull down her underwear, no doubt tangling them as he pried them from her hips. In this area, not surprisingly, he was rather inept.

He began slowly, his finger merely tracing the lips of her entrance. After he was assured by her moans of appreciation, Ichigo slid said finger within his classmate. Never had he seen a person's mouth become so wide in his life; yet, her groans were so silent.

He was fascinated with her face as he pressed his finger further within her tender walls. It made him feel as if he had a power over her that no one else had. Orihime's hand latched out at his arm, to which he replied by lying at her side, fitting snugly between her and the couch wall, so that he could kiss her lips.

"Shh."

Ichigo could not think of any words to comfort her other than that, thus, he began to kiss her lips a bit more deeply than he had before. What was that taste? It was driving him mad.

Suddenly, he felt liquid warmth within his left palm. Orihime's body stopped its pleasured spasms at about the same time, thus Ichigo removed his finger, a few of Orihime's juices spilling upon her creamy thighs, as well as the couch.

Ichigo stared at the deeply-breathing Orihime, wide-eyed, as he moved his hand away from Orihime to stare into his lubricated fingers. He looked from them to Orihime, unsure of what he should do.

At long last, Ichigo inserted the fingers into his mouth, suckling them dry of Orihime's remnants. After he drew the last of Orihime's succulent prize, he removed his fingers, wiping the saliva off, gracefully, upon the leg of his jeans.

They lay in silence for a while, Orihime having slid on her panties once more, as Ichigo simply stroked the female's torso.

"Orihime, I've gotta' ask," Ichigo began, causing the healer to tilt her head curiously, "you smell great."

"Oh, you like my perfume? Tatsuki-chan got it for me, with my lip gloss."

Orihime smiled.

"I love strawberries, don't you?"

**End:** Okay, this is the last chapter. I figured I'd end it off with a bang, eh? People were asking for smut, so I decided to give into the public.

You better like it, people! :P

Read and review, please.


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